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51 Steps To Freedom® Trail

“One flag, one land, one heart, one hand, one nation forevermore!”
- Oliver Wendell Holmes
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Foggy Bottom/Dupont Circle West

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Steps Include:​

  • O Museum in The Mansion

Friends of Dorothy - Pride, Hidden Histories & Lasting Legacies

Throughout our history, countless individuals have walked a different path — often in silence, always with pride. This tour brings together powerful trail stops that reveal the quiet bravery, creative resistance, and lasting impact of those who lived true to themselves, even when the world wasn’t ready. From coded survival to bold defiance, their stories uncover the quiet power behind lasting change. Step into their journey and witness the legacy they carved into the heart of the nation’s capital.

Striver's Section/Dupont Circle East

Steps Include: ​

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  • Langston Hughes Home & Langston Hughs Golf Course 

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Did You Know?

James Baldwin, born in Harlem in 1924, challenged America to see itself more clearly. As a writer and thinker, he explored identity, freedom, and belonging — becoming one of the first Black authors to speak openly about being gay in his groundbreaking work.

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Anacostia/Congress Heights​

Steps Include: 

  • Go Go Museum & We Act Radio

Josephine Baker was a world-famous entertainer, French Resistance spy, and civil rights activist. Known for defying convention, she also lived openly in same-sex relationships — making her a bold symbol of both artistic freedom and personal pride.

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Did You Know?
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Downtown & The National Mall

Steps Include: ​

  • Constitution Gardens, Declaration of Independence Memorial

  • Freedom Plaza; The Willard Hotel, & The John A. Wilson Bldg., MLK Memorial, Marion Barry

  • Lafayette Square Park    

  • Library of Congress

  • Liberty Plaza

  • Lincoln Memorial   

  • Metropolitan AME, James Wormley Hotel, Franklin Square, Charles Sumner School Newspaper, Snow Riot, The National Council of Negro Women

  • National Museum of African American History & Culture

  • Supreme Court

  • U.S. Capitol

  • Wilkins Coffee; The Muppets, Sesame Street, Jim Henson

  • Washington Monument

  • White House 

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Did You Know?

Martina Navratilova won 59 Grand Slam titles and reigned as world No. 1 for over 330 weeks — but her boldest moves came off the court. In 1993, she spoke at the March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay and Bi Equal Rights and Liberation, becoming a powerful voice for equality in sports and beyond.

U St. Corridor, Shaw & LeDroit Park

​Steps Include: 

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  • ​The Howard Theatre & Chuck Brown Way

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Alan Turing helped end World War II by cracking the Nazi Enigma code — saving millions of lives. Despite this, he was later punished for being gay. Today, he’s honored as a pioneer of computer science and a symbol of courage in the face of injustice.

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Did You Know?
Bonus

Special Bonus Stops

Steps Include: ​​​

  • NASA

  • Spy Museum & Benjamin Banneker Park

  • The Wharf

Augmented Reality Trail in Washington DC

51 Steps To Freedom® is transforming Washington, DC into the largest outdoor museum — in the world. Spanning over eight miles, this one-of-a-kind augmented reality trail explores D.C.'s extraordinary history, culture, and its ongoing journey toward liberty and opportunity for all.

A number of stops on the trail are being created by students in the DC area through our Student Voices Program.
LEARN MORE

Did You Know?

Support & Volunteer for 51 Steps To Freedom™

As a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, the 51 Steps to Freedom Trail offers a unique Washington DC tour experience, highlighting key people and places in DC neighborhoods like Anacostia, Georgetown, Dupont Circle, U Street Corridor, where history and culture come alive.

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Our interactive history tour features a groundbreaking augmented reality experience that brings key moments and figures from DC’s history to life, from the Washington Monument, the US Capitol, and the White House to neighborhood landmarks, showcasing the variety of movements that shaped America’s journey for liberty and opportunity.

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By donating or volunteering, you help preserve and share these stories of freedom, resilience and opportunity. Your support ensures that these vital narratives are celebrated on the 51 Steps to Freedom Trail and brought to life through immersive web AR experiences, advancing our mission to create a liberty trail in DC.

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Join us in exploring DC's neighborhoods and supporting this transformative project. Whether you're interested in a monument tour, a city tour, or simply want to make a difference, your involvement is essential to making the 51 Steps to Freedom a lasting educational tool for all who visit Washington DC.

I'd like to to donate to help tell the story of

Washington, DC — and America’s — journey  for liberty and opportunity.

Founding Organizations

© 2021-2025 PIR Marketing

51 Steps To Freedom is a registered 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. Donations are tax-deductible to the full extent of the law. Your tax-deductible donation funds their programs. No goods or services were provided for this gift. Please consult your tax advisor regarding specific questions about your deductions.

© 2021-2025 All rights reserved. 51 Steps To Freedom® trail concept, design, layout, route, stories, etc. belong exclusively to 51 Steps To Freedom®.

No part of this trail or website, may be reproduced in whole or in part in any manner without the written permission of 51 Steps To Freedom®.

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